Storms, She was Beautiful
by Heresenia
Summary: Kaladin and Jasnah. Fluff. SPOILERS: Major Oathbringer spoilers. Like all of it. Future AU kinda - just took a lot of liberties with the characters. Jasnah is Queen of Alethkar and has regained her seat in Kholinar. Kaladin eagerly returns from a mission. He finds her in the Kholinar throne room and later unexpectedly finds himself in her bedroom.


Kaladin and Jasnah love. AU. Future.

Disclaimer: **These are not my characters; I don't own them. They are Brandon Sanderson's.** I just happen to love them.

SPOILERS: Major Oathbringer spoilers.

Alternate WARNING: I had to blasphemously set this in the future after Oathbringer for this love story to work logically. And we all know the future is of Odium and can't be trusted. But this is a future I very much like . . .

* * *

Jasnah is first Queen of the Alethi. Kaladin, despite being a Knight Radiant, remains a loyal bodyguard to the Kholin family. He received his orders six months ago. His charge was to protect Jasnah Kholin. She was too important to lose, so Dalinar made sure she was protected by his best men, Bridge Four.

* * *

Jasnah, brilliant as she was, used this odd assembly of guardsmen to her advantage. She did not like being protected like a child. She was a Knight Radiant herself. She had proven herself capable on the battlefield and more than capable in the realms of diplomacy. But still, if she was going to have an entire bridge crew of guards, she would use the new resource wisely.

She was newly settled in Kholinar. The battle to win back her homeland had been bloody. Storms, she knew it was necessary but shook to think how many Alethi lives the battle had consumed. Too many.

It had been several months since the battle. Kholinar was recovering, but the Parshendi still held strong in other areas of Roshar. The Parshendi had retreated from Kholinar to surrounding villages within a few days walk. They had been beaten badly by a strong surge of Alethi forces that were strengthened by several Knights Radiant. The Assassin in White had proved himself useful and shockingly loyal considering it had been less than two years since his attempted assassination of her Uncle. Regardless, Jasnah would take whatever she could get. Though she wouldn't trust this Shin assassin, she did appreciate his help on the battlefield.

Jasnah sent Szeth away quickly after Kholinar had been reclaimed. And he gladly went back to Urithiru to rejoin Dalinar. The strange assassin did not like to be far from her Uncle. He said he worried about assassins. Ironic.

Jasnah had just concluded a meeting with some higher members of the Azish scribes. The Parshendi had not made a blatant attack on a city in over two months. This worried the scribes, as it should.

Jasnah had been studying the Parshendi. Controlled by Odium and the Fused, every move was planned. The last time the Parshendi forestalled an attack, her Uncle had discovered – too late – that they planned to hit Thaylen City.

Odium was clever enough to attack Urithiru at the same time to prevent Alethi reinforcements from getting through the Oathgate. It was bloody – and the battle looked grim – but miraculously, they won.

It seemed to be a magic quality in Dalinar that he could not lose a battle. Jasnah did not believe in magic. She believed in logic. But storms if she wasn't thrilled after that battle . . . and more than a little surprised at the outcome.

Shallan was their biggest tactical advantage that day. Not that the Alethi generals would ever admit that. Men and their egos.

Fortunately, Jasnah was queen now. And obviously female. She did not have to deal with the ego that a man put in her position might have. No, she would do well as queen.

Already, she had reformed the coalition of monarchs. Now, she needed to sit on her throne, be diplomatic – and act queenly.

She had offered to take in Adolin and Shallan so that they no longer needed to live in Urithiru. After all, this was Adolin's home. He was Highprince. But Shallan would have none of it. She refused to leave Urithiru, insisting that the Knights Radiant belonged together there.

Jasnah had to admit that the child had a point. Though she suspected there were other reasons for the continued stay . . .

Jasnah was more than happy to move to Kholinar. This was her home. She sat in the large throne room in the Kholinar palace. She had dismissed the Azish scribes. They were intelligent, but insufferable sometimes.

She needed to relax, take a deep breath. Ivory stood next to her, oddly silent.

She was tired. Being queen will do that to you.

Every day she was listening to new problems and solving them how she thought best.

Her guards stood before her. Two at the base of the steps to the throne and two on the landing beside her. She hadn't learned their names yet, but she would.

Normally, she would have learned these before they even came into her service, but her attentions had been . . . occupied. Where was he?

Right, wrong day. He wasn't supposed to return until tomorrow.

She sent a group of Bridge Four led by Kaladin Stormblessed to gather information. Reports came a week ago that Shinovar was under attack. There had been false reports before, but this one was particularly disconcerting since they couldn't afford to lose the Shinovar Oathgate.

Storms. So much to worry about.

The men had sent the appropriate glyphs two days prior to indicate that the report was indeed false. Then, they found a scribe. Finally. She detailed that they would make their way back to Kholinar shortly but wanted to inspect an odd white and violet light that they had seen flash in the nearby mountains.

No doubt Kaladin Stormblessed would be leading the charge. He was immediately intrigued by anything to do with Stormlight or that violet Parshendi light.

Still sitting on her throne in Kholinar, lost in thought, Jasnah dismissed her guardsmen from the platform and told them to wait outside.

They did not seem keen to leave her with only the two guards in the large chamber, but they backed down when she snapped at them. She shouldn't have done that. It was their job to protect her, but she wouldn't stand for insufferable chatting while she was trying to think.

She was a little tense today. She knew the proposition she had to make tomorrow. It was a daunting thought.

She was thinking about the war and their next battle. Then, she was thinking about him. She was thinking about Kholinar's defenses in case the Parshendi attacked from the villages to which they retreated. Then she was thinking about him.

Storms! She was the logical one! She was _Jasnah Kholin_ : heretic, scholar, diplomat, first Queen of Alethkar, and now apparently . . . a woman in love. An odd realization. She would have to study that.

She dismissed her last two guards. They resisted but she told them they could stand outside the doors. She was annoyed by their hesitance to leave. She was a Knight Radiant for crying out loud! If an assassin tried to take her life, the toughest obstacle they faced would not be her guards.

She stood from her throne, eyes lingering on the details of the familiar room. Not much had changed since she was a child. The same stone carvings in the walls depicting the Heralds. Some of the tapestries survived the clash for the palace during the prior battle. A new rug was placed leading from the front doors all the way up to the throne. The last one had been burned and bloodied in the fight, sadly beyond repair.

She gazed at the familiarity of her surroundings. Calmed by this place in a way she never felt in any other city, particularly Urithiru.

She had longed to be home for some time now, and finally she was here. Queen.

She also longed for him. . .

Tomorrow. He would arrive tomorrow.

* * *

Kaladin fell with a triple lashing toward Kholinar. He _needed_ to get back, urgently.

His body was propelled through the winds, trailing several windspren as he passed over a low valley. Not far now.

He twisted in the air as he saw lights shine up ahead. The destination was upon him.

He cancelled his forward lashings and let himself drop to the ground. He did a quarter lashing up as he neared the bottom to slow his fall, but he did not let the drop impede his stride.

He was a Windrunner. He landed on the ground and without breaking step walked straight up to the guards outside Kholinar.

They lowered spears to bar his entry but as he drew closer into the light they quickly pulled back and called for men to open the gates.

He nodded to them gratefully and couldn't bring himself to walk the extra fifteen minutes to the palace, so he flew.

The reports of Shinovar had been false and the odd violet/white light from the surrounding mountains had been a distraction to keep him and his men in Shinovar. They still hadn't figured out why, but they certainly didn't wait around to find out.

The other men of Bridge Four had wanted to stop and rest for the night in a town halfway between Kholinar and Shinovar. Kaladin couldn't wait.

His men were in no apparent danger, so he flew on through the night and the next day. Excitement pushed away his exhaustion. And so did a little Stormlight. Anticipationspen rose up before him as he finally approached the palace.

He entered through the side doors of the grand Kholinar palace, guards nodding to him as he passed by. He found the back entrance to the throne room and saw a woman staring out at the grand chamber.

It was huge and decorated with stone carvings, tapestries, and a runner leading from the throne to the double doors at the end of the large room.

He was nervous.

There were no guards around her . . .

Silently, he approached.

She was ignorant when the guards drew the doors closed quietly behind him. He suppressed a grin at the thought, as he knew this was the _only_ instance in which he could ever call Jasnah Kholin ignorant.

Kaladin Stormblessed stepped right behind her, paused, and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. He leaned down and put his nose to the side of her cheek, just below her left ear, smelling her sweet perfume. Intoxicating.

She held his arms for a moment, still facing the throne room, then turned around and met his gaze. "You're back early," she said.

He stared at her. She stared at him. And without waiting for a response, she kissed him. Passionately. He was returned with more, holding her tightly, feeling her lips on his. He shifted in the kiss and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist. She held to him, unrelenting in the kiss, her safehand trailing the muscles on his back. An intimate gesture, but no one was around to see. She pulled back slightly, regaining her composure. They held together after the kiss, drinking in each other's scent. The lights of the surrounding Passionspren vanished and soon it was just them.

"I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow," she said breathily.

He looked deep into those tantalizing violet eyes. Storms, she was beautiful. She wore a purple havah laced with gold embroidery. Her lips were painted red, a stark contrast against her jet-black hair, which was immaculately braided. Kaladin grinned stupidly. Why on Roshar did this woman choose me? He wasn't complaining. It had been several months of . . . would you call it courting? Whatever it was, he didn't want it to stop. She did something to him, and if Kaladin had his way, he would never let her go.

"There wasn't a threat in Shinovar. I came back early in case you needed me." he whispered against her ear.

"Actually, your timing is perfect. I do have a request of you," she smiled.

"Anything," he replied, grinning as he continued to hold her. Their relationship had started unexpectedly – in a shouting match actually. They had vehemently disagreed on the next step to be taken with the army and had literally yelled at each other, loudly. He had yelled at the Queen of Alethkar his second week on the job. What an idiot.

Kaladin never had been good at knowing his place. He was a little afraid of her – not that he would admit that to her – when she coolly approached him after they had stopped shouting. She was seething with emotion at the argument, a cool rage in her eyes.

He thought he was going to be demoted, sent back to Urithiru, or given some laborious task to learn his lesson. Instead, she had kissed him . . . aggressively. He had nearly dropped his spear in shock.

That kiss ended nearly as fast as it began. She had broken away from him quickly, seemingly shocked at her own actions, and dismissed him with instructions that he not tell anyone about what happened. Not that anyone would believe him anyway. Lighteyed women were strange.

Kaladin didn't know how he felt after that. It was a confusing time for him, but the next time it happened a week later, he embraced it willingly and actually kissed her back. Probably a bad idea. No, _definitely_ a bad idea. But storms, she was beautiful. And intelligent. And strong. And . . . wait, what was she saying?

Pulling himself out of the momentary distraction, he nodded, but then pulled away slightly at the look on her face.

"Don't be angry with me," she said.

". . . You know I hate it when you start sentences like that."

"I had something made for you," Jasnah smiled mischievously.

Kaladin grunted in response. This couldn't be good.

She turned from him and walked to a table set on the back of the dais against the wall. On the table sat a plain mahogany box, clearly well-made but with no ornamentation or decoration. He followed her over to the table, placing a hand around her waist and gently pressing his nose to her cheek.

She smiled and rounded on him. "Open it." Everything was a command. Jasnah never asked.

As much as the soldier in him wanted to immediately obey the woman he loved, his queen, he couldn't help but draw her to him once more before he opened the mysterious box. He had a bad feeling about whatever this "gift" was and was happy to delay as long as possible.

He drew her lips to his and she melted into his kiss, losing herself – for a second – and then pulled away smirking. "You're stalling, open it." It was a softer request this time.

Everyone thought Jasnah Kholin was a stern woman, hard as stone and with an intellect that would beat you into submission. The last part was the only thing that people got right. She put on a good front, much like Kaladin himself, but she _did_ feel.

Kaladin reluctantly turned from her and opened the box. He slid his fingers to the latch and lifted the lid.

" _No_!" he said, too abruptly, and he quickly shut the box closed again.

Jasnah did not wince. It was not in her nature. But Kaladin could read her now. She was hurt. Though she'd never admit it.

Kaladin backtracked and slowly opened the box again. Inside, on dark green velvet, sat a thin metal crown, much like the one Jasnah herself wore.

Kaladin sighed and pulled her close. He held her tightly, closed his eyes, and bowed his head. "This is not –"

She cut him off. "Think about this logically. The entire kingdom knows we've been courting – or whatever this is – for quite some time now. Rumors are not becoming of a monarchy. Elhokar is dead. Little Gavinor is my heir, but he's barely five years old and cannot manage the kingdom until he's older. You are a Knight Radiant, Kaladin. And I am the face of Alethkar. Our union would be wise . . . politically."

"Jasnah . . . are you asking me to marry you?"

She started to say something and then paused. ". . . Yes, I am."

"I didn't think this was what you wanted."

"I didn't think this was what I wanted either. Truly, I had not planned to marry. But now with my new position, things have changed. I would be perfectly fine continuing on by myself. But you . . . complicate things. Had we never become involved, the idea of me being a single monarch would never have been an issue. But now, for propriety's sake, I have been forced to make a change."

"I've never known anyone to force you to do anything."

She clearly suppressed a sigh at that. He could read her so well now. "I don't care about whispers and giggles from gossipers in court. But this . . . odd relationship makes my rule look unstable. I can't be a queen who sneaks around kissing the Captain of my guard. The choice is yours, Kaladin. Be with me and take the responsibilities that come with it, or end it." She seemed pained at that last thought.

With that, she left. She walked elegantly from the room and left him to his thoughts. _Storming woman_! _What was she thinking_?! He couldn't be what she wanted him to be. Couldn't he just continue to be her inappropriately close bodyguard? Kaladin felt exhausted as she left. He sat, elbows to knees, forehead in his hands, and shook his head. He couldn't do this.

Jasnah was a logical, no-nonsense woman. Her arguments had merit. He wanted to be with her, but he was not ready for this. He didn't think he would ever marry. And he didn't think she'd ever wanted to marry either!

It wasn't a problem with her. It was a problem with him. She was a storming Queen! She needed someone closer to her station.

Kaladin snorted, "I'm sure the slave brands will go over great when meeting with foreign dignitaries!"

Syl returned to him. He tended to ask her to leave the room when he was with Jasnah, though he doubted she ever actually listened to him.

"How much did you hear?"

"A good amount," Syl said as she floated down in front of him, her dress fluttering in a nonexistent wind.

* * *

Kaladin takes a walk to clear his head.

* * *

*One hour later*

Jasnah sat in her sitting room working through stacks of books. She slowly turned to the next page in her notebook to jot down a quote. She heard a knock at the door and sat up straighter. It was late. She knew it was him.

"Come in," she said tersely.

Kaladin opened the door slowly. He looked terrible, exhausted. She wasn't sure if that was from the long flight home or the burden she'd laid on him at his arrival. Probably both.

He closed the door behind him and lethargically crossed the sitting room to place himself on the couch facing the heating fabrial in the center of the room. She rose from her desk and joined him on the couch.

* * *

Jasnah sat down on the far side of the couch from him, stiffly. She masked her emotions, but he could tell she was hurt. She had proposed to him, oddly, and all he had managed to say was, "I don't want that."

He was surprised she even let him in. _I'm such an idiot_.

"Jasnah, I'm a storming fool."

"Yes, you are. Is this going to be a rousing conversation where you state the obvious and I nod placatingly? Because I assure you I don't have time for that. I have work to do."

Ouch. He probably deserved that. "I reacted poorly earlier, and . . . you drive me crazy, Jasnah. I want to spend every moment with you. I wish we didn't have to sneak around as we've been doing. Though from what you said earlier, we're apparently not very good at it."

"Correction, _you're_ not very good at it." She didn't smile, but she was softening at his words. He could tell. He had to approach this right. Otherwise, he'd lose her forever. He'd lost so much already . . . Kaladin pushed that thought aside and carried on.

"I want to be with you Jasnah, but I think I would make a terrible monarch and a terrible husband. I'm a soldier. I'm going to leave when battle calls. I don't have any training to help _lead_ a storming kingdom! I have more education than most from my surgeon's training, but even that I didn't finish. I never want to hurt you. I want to see you happy. But I don't think –"

She cut him off. "Are you afraid, Captain?" She didn't sound angry. She sounded like she was gathering data. Ever the scholar.

"Yes."

"Well fortunately for you, you do not need my training and experience. You will not be King of Alethkar. You would simply be husband to the Queen of Alethkar."

"Isn't that kinda the same thing?" Kaladin asked, confused.

"Certainly not," Jasnah replied. "You obviously have significant experience leading your battalion of bridge crews, so I would appreciate your insight and leadership when it comes to fortifications and battle tactics. I would not, however, expect you to make important policy decisions. While I welcome your input, I anticipate we would carry on in similar roles and responsibilities as we have now. I do not expect any marriage of mine to drastically change my goals for Alethkar. I will not let this kingdom run rampant!"

Kaladin stared at her. This passionate, amazing woman. "I won't wear a storming crown."

"Fine, it was a mere symbol anyway."

He waited for it to sink in.

"Wait," she started. "Did you actually just agree to this?"

He grinned. "I accept your proposal Jasnah Kholin."

She grinned. He rarely saw that. She was so formal all the time, but he liked to see the real her come through. "Well, I'll have to have our scribes draw up a formal arrangement. And I suspect we will continue to negotiate the details of this union further, so you know what exactly you're agreeing to."

Kaladin cocked an eyebrow. He could tell she was happy. Though her face maintained the same expression she'd had through most of the conversation.

She pulled out a sheet of paper from her side table along with her ink and a writing instrument. _Now_! _Really_? She was going into full scholar mode, surely thinking up various ways of how to pen out every detail on the implications of these nuptials.

He grinned and moved himself closer to her on the plush couch. She hadn't finished writing her first sentence when he placed his right hand on her freehand, slowly taking her writing implement and placing it gingerly on the side table. He removed the pad of paper that she'd held with her Safehand and put that aside as well.

She turned toward him, staring as he slowly moved toward her. He touched his left hand to her face, leaned in, and kissed her. It was a long, slow kiss. Not frantic. Not aggressive. She sighed contentedly. He could feel the smile on her lips.

"Maybe we can send for the scribes later," Kaladin mumbled, barely letting his lips separate from hers.

She breathed out, nodding her head. "Yes, later." She pulled him close. He grabbed for the small of her back and she rose putting her knees and the couch, straddling him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders so they were seamlessly connected. Then, before he knew it, she pushed him down and had him pinned to the couch.

She kissed his neck all the way up to his lips, streaming her fingers through his long black hair.

She touched his chest, caressing, feeling her way across his shoulders to his biceps, still kissing him. She unbuttoned the jacket of his Kholin blue uniform to reveal an off-white shirt underneath. She pulled at the laces at the top of the shirt, loosening it, and untucked it from his trousers at the bottom. She slid the shirt up, revealing the well-toned muscles of his abdomen.

Kaladin groaned as she continued to accost him – wonderfully, relentlessly. "We're not married yet," he mumbled.

She gently pulled her torso back so she was leaning over him. He could feel her weight on top of him, curves molding against his body. He held her at the hips.

"Hmmm," she mused. "I am a heretic if you don't recall." And there it was, her smile. A rare, beautiful sight that made his heart lift. He groaned again. She was making this so difficult.

Kaladin had always been strong-willed, but resisting Jasnah's advances was like trying to drunkenly outrun a whitespine after having one of your legs cut through with a Shardblade. It simply _wasn't_ going to happen.

Still . . . the Alethi did pride themselves on their propriety. And heretic or not, if Jasnah was going to lead them, she did have to follow _some_ of their customs. They both knew it. So he let himself be pulled in, knowing she would kiss him breathless and let him go, adhering to the strict Vorin traditions. Well, kind of. If they were betrothed now and he was no longer acting as her bodyguard, they probably should have had a chaperone or something. Though he wasn't supposed to be doing this as her bodyguard anyway.

He continued to hold her on the plush couch. Nothing mattered but the two of them. She sighed, leaned down, and relaxed fully on top of him, not pushing for anything, just comfortable.

Kaladin closed his eyes. She drew in patterns that felt like glyphs with her index finger on his bicep – or maybe it was the women's script – then she traced up to his shoulder and back down to the crook of his elbow.

He thought she might actually be writing! Maybe she was itching to get to her papers and jot notes down lest she forget. But she didn't move to leave, so he didn't let go. He held her for a long time. He held her until the tracing on his arm stopped and her breathing grew slow and even. He was content. And she was, well, she was asleep.

Not wanting to wake her, Kaladin infused her with a half lashing up. She became weightless and he easily lifted her from him, off the couch. He cradled his left arm to support her legs under the knees and held her back with his right arm. He ensured that the skirt of her havah was closely bound around her ankles so it wouldn't ride up as he carried her across the room. She leaned into him sleepily.

He reached the door of her bedroom chamber and suddenly felt intimidated. I haven't been in there before. But he wasn't going to leave her on the couch, so he made his decision and entered the room.

It was dark, but he could tell even in the moonlight that it was lavishly decorated. He approached the large bed and maneuvered her so her head was above the pillow. He infused her with just a little more Stormlight to make sure she stayed weightless. Not good to drop your betrothed face-first onto the stone floor just hours after entering into a marriage agreement.

He pulled back the sheets and gently touched her freehand to remove the half lashing and infuse her with a quarter lashing up so she gently fell like a feather. She was a Knight Radiant and surely didn't need to be treated so delicately. But there was something about her that made his protective instincts kick in.

He pulled up the sheet as she snuggled into her blankets. She could sleep in her havah – not the end of the world. He suppressed a chuckle. Actually, it is the end of the world. _Of course I'd find love right as the world is trying to up and end itself_. He turned to leave, but before he got to the door he looked back toward her one last time. _I am a lucky man_.

He'd probably have to fly out her window again to not attract the suspicion of the guards outside. It was late now. Not that a man shining with Stormlight flying out of the Queen's window was much more subtle, but he could at least be more stealthy in his element. He wanted to take her flying. _Really_ flying. But they would have time for that later. For now, she could rest and so could he.

Kaladin carefully undid the latch at her sitting room window and fell softly to the square below. He walked back to his rooms with a lighter step and a hidden smile. He thought of Jasnah the whole way. _Storms, she was beautiful_.


End file.
